Video: Masked Eco Terrorists Target Wisconsin Mine Site

Masked eco-terrorists have stepped up their attacks against employees of Gogebic Taconite. The workers are conducting exploratory drilling in the Penokee Range, home of the the largest deposit of iron ore in North America.

This video shows a couple of masked eco-terrorists yelling at a drill worker as they were setting up their rig on Tuesday, June 11.

In the background, you can hear the noise of other eco-terrorists wrecking equipment. According to a company representatives, these eco-terrorists slashed tires, stole equipment and pitched other tools into the woods. They wrecked hydraulic controls and tore out erosion controls. G-Tac, which has had to hire security in the wake of these acts of violence, say the violent protesters also attacked one of the company's female workers.--wrestling a the camera out of her hands while another took her cell phone from her pocket.

These attacks were in addition to the eco-terrorists earlier actions, which included the building of barricades of timber and rock, putting their own locks on the access gate and removing bolts from a bridge that has to bear heavy equipment.

GTac refused to discuss their security plans except to say they will protect their people and equipment by legal means. When pressed, a company spokesperson, Bob Seitz said, “The opposition doesn’t tell us their plans and we aren’t going to tell them ours.”

“We are not mining. We are conducting testing that can be used by supporters or opponents to make their case so we everyone can debate with facts, not guesses." Seitz said. "If the mining opponents believe what they have said, they should want the facts to come out.”

The incidents come after Earth First! and Green Peace held a training session, dubbed the Central Wisconsin Action Camp, in the Northwoods of Wisconsin. According to organizers, the camp was a three day training program for protesters who were opposed the proposed iron mine in northern Wisconsin. The group held the camp in a secret location about an hour northwest of Wausau. One organizer told the Journal Sentinel protesters will learn techniques for tree climbing so activists could prevent a mining company from doing advance work at the mine site.

"We respect the right of opponents to peacefully protest, that’s American," Seitz said. "However, people who destroy property and attack people are criminals and we will work with law enforcement to bring them to bring them to justice.”

Seitz is right.

These are not kids.

This is not civil disobedience.

This is not a peaceful protest or the exercise of First Amendment rights.

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